Apparatus and Method for Data Message Communication

1. A method used by a user device for communicating data from the user device to a network station, comprising: transmitting a synchronizing preamble having no timing advance, the synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N shift index durations, wherein N is an integer, and the base sequence comprising a plurality of cyclic shifts, each cyclic shift including a plurality of symbols, and the base sequence including one or more other symbols that are not included in the plurality of cyclic shifts; receiving from the network station a response that indicates that the synchronizing preamble was received from the user device having the base sequence cyclically shifted by N−1 shift index durations; determining, based at least partially on the response, that corrective action is appropriate; and performing one of: transmitting a modified form of synchronizing preamble transmitting the data as a data message having a timing advance, and barring further attempts to transmit the data to the network station for a defined duration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting M−1 additional synchronizing preambles, M being an integer greater than or equal to two, each additional synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N Mi shift index durations, the base sequence of each additional synchronizing preamble being either the same as the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble or different from the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble, wherein the subscript M i identifies one of the M−1 additional synchronizing preambles; and receiving M−1 additional responses from the network station, each response indicating that the network station received the respective base sequence cyclically shifted by N Mi −1 shift index durations, wherein the determination is made at least partly in response to receipt of the M th response from the network station.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining further comprises: making a determination by the user device that the user device is located at a distance from the network station that induces a propagation delay that is more than one shift index duration.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the modified form of synchronizing preamble further comprises: selecting as the modified form of synchronizing preamble a synchronizing preamble that has an unshifted base sequence.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the modified form of synchronizing preamble further comprises: selecting a next synchronizing preamble, wherein the next synchronizing preamble is not necessarily different from a previous synchronizing preamble; generating the modified form of synchronizing preamble by advancing a timing of the next synchronizing preamble by a duration that is equal to or greater than one shift index duration.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the duration is determined from one or more of: an indication that the synchronizing preamble was received with the N−1 shift index durations; a timing advance value that is provided in the response from the network station, and a propagation delay determined by the user device based on a physical location of the user device determined by the user device.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein transmitting the modified form of synchronizing preamble further comprises: advancing a timing of the next synchronizing preamble by a duration that is equal to one shift index duration; and transmitting the next synchronization preamble.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the timing advance of the data message is determined from one or more of: an indication that the synchronizing preamble was received with the N−1 shift index durations; a timing advance value that is provided in the response from the network station, and a propagation delay determined by the user device based on a physical location of the user device determined by the user device.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the timing advance used for the data message is a sum of one shift index duration and the timing advance value that is provided in a response from the network station.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user device is an apparatus that is capable of communicating in a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project, Long-Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) communication system.

11. A user device that is capable of communicating data from the user device to a network station, comprising: a transmitter that transmits a synchronizing preamble having no timing advance, the synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N shift index durations, wherein N is an integer, and the base sequence comprising a plurality of cyclic shifts, each cyclic shift including a plurality of symbols, and the base sequence including one or more other symbols that are not included in the plurality of cyclic shifts; a receiver that receives from the network station a response that indicates that the synchronizing preamble was received from the user device having the base sequence cyclically shifted by N−1 shift index durations; and a processor that determines, based at least partially on the response, that corrective action is appropriate; and performs one of: transmitting a modified form of synchronizing preamble transmitting the data as a data message having a timing advance, and barring further attempts to transmit the data to the network station for a defined duration.

12. The user device according to claim 11 : wherein the transmitter transmits M−1 additional synchronizing preambles, M being an integer greater than or equal to two, each additional synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N Mi shift index durations, the base sequence of each additional synchronizing preamble being either the same as the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble or different from the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble, wherein the subscript M i identifies one of the M−1 additional synchronizing preambles; and the receiver receives M−1 additional responses from the network station, each response indicating that the network station received the respective base sequence cyclically shifted by N Mi −1 shift index durations, wherein the determination is made at least partly in response to receipt of the M th response from the network station.

13. The user device according to claim 11 , wherein in the step of determining, the processor makes a determination by the user device that the user device is located at a distance from the network station that induces a propagation delay that is more than one shift index duration.

14. The user device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor, when transmitting the modified form of synchronizing preamble, selects as the modified form of synchronizing preamble a synchronizing preamble that has an unshifted base sequence.

15. The user device according to claim 11 , wherein the timing advance of the data message is determined by the processor from one or more of: an indication that the synchronizing preamble was received with the N−1 shift index durations; a timing advance value that is provided in the response from the network station, and a propagation delay determined by the user device based on a physical location of the user device determined by the user device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising programmed instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user device, communicate data from the user device to a network station, by: transmitting a synchronizing preamble having no timing advance, the synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N shift index durations, wherein N is an integer, and the base sequence comprising a plurality of cyclic shifts, each cyclic shift including a plurality of symbols, and the base sequence including one or more other symbols that are not included in the plurality of cyclic shifts; receiving from the network station a response, wherein the response indicates that the synchronizing preamble was received from the user device having the base sequence cyclically shifted by N−1 shift index durations; determine, based at least partially on the response, that corrective action is appropriate; and performing one of: transmitting a modified form of synchronizing preamble transmitting the data as a data message having a timing advance, and barring further attempts to transmit the data to the network station for a defined duration.

17. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein communicating the data from the user device to the network station further comprises instructions for: transmitting M−1 additional synchronizing preambles, M being an integer greater than or equal to 2, each additional synchronizing preamble comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N Mi shift index durations, the base sequence of each additional synchronizing preamble being either the same as the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble or different from the base sequence of the synchronizing preamble, wherein the subscript M i identifies one of the M−1 additional synchronizing preambles; and receiving M−1 additional responses from the network station, each response indicating that the network station received the respective base sequence cyclically shifted by N Mi −1 shift index durations, wherein the determination is made at least partly in response to the receipt of the M th response from the network station.

18. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein the determining further comprises instructions for: making a determination by the user device that the user device is located at a distance from the network station that induces a propagation delay that is more than one shift index duration.

19. The medium according to claim 16 , wherein transmitting the modified form of synchronizing preamble further comprises instructions for: selecting as the modified form of synchronizing preamble a synchronizing preamble that has an unshifted base sequence.

20. The medium according to claim 16 , further comprising instructions that determine the timing advance of the data message from one or more of: an indication that the synchronizing preamble was received with the N−1 shift index durations; a timing advance value that is provided in the response from the network station, and a propagation delay determined by the user device based on a physical location of the user device determined by the user device.